


Bridges and Rivers

by thejokerghost



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Gen, M/M, Past Character Death, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23914504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejokerghost/pseuds/thejokerghost
Summary: Cosette hated bridges. Especially ones over rivers. She could never tell anyone why.-Got a jolt of inspiration while reading some Post-Seine. I'm not sorry.Warning: Past Suicide
Relationships: Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy, Enjolras/Grantaire (mentioned), Javert/Jean Valjean (mentioned)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Bridges and Rivers

**Author's Note:**

> Why do people always give Grantaire these beanies? I give him fedoras instead.
> 
> Ok but seriously, this is the most serious fic I have ever written, and I hope I did childhood trauma justice.

Cosette hated bridges. Especially ones over rivers. She could never tell anyone why.

Which was why when Marius asked her if she wanted to go to the Pont des Arts with him, she could not really say no. She would be okay, wouldn't she?

That morning, in preparation, she ate some chocolate she had lying around, to her father's concern. He knew that she only ate so much chocolate when she was anxious, but when he inquired about it, she brushed it off and even offered him a piece. He tried intervening again before she left, but nothing came of it. He only agreed to let her leave when she promised to text him the second something bad happened, as every parent would conclude to doing.

Marius was the cheesiest man in the world. He had insisted that they went to the most romantic spot in Paris, even when the locks had been removed, and he had even convinced his friends, Grantaire and Enjolras, to go with them. Cosette stepped off the bus hesitantly and made her way towards the central square of the Palais du Louvre, where she was supposed to meet her boyfriend.

Unsurprisingly, he wasn't there. Instead stood two young men, one radiantly handsome and dressed in red, the other wearing a mischievous smile and a grey fedora. This must be Enjolras and Grantaire. Cosette had never met them before, but as they introduced themselves, she could tell that Marius had good taste in friends.

Marius _finally_ arrived and they set off. Cosette paused slightly before stepping onto the bridge, subtly enough so that the others did not notice, but long enough to feel the blood thumping in her ears. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, passing it off as wiping dirt from it, but actually tried soothing the nerves. The only one who seemed to notice was Grantaire, who tilted his head in curiosity. Cosette smiled uneasily. Grantaire raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged and turned back to Enjolras, who was saying something about how the bridge looked better without all the locks...

The further they got, the worse she felt. She linked arms with Marius, who was probably all red in the face afterwards. She was overcome with a dizziness, preventing her from looking anywhere but the ground. She glanced at her boyfriend guiltily. This was supposed to be romantic date, a time to admire the view from the bridge. Then Marius said those words.

"Let's go take pictures by the edge!" He tried pulling Cosette towards the railing, but she froze on the spot and shook her head. Marius looked at her questioningly and said something else, but she could not hear. He continued to tug on her arm, yet she stood there, paralyzed.

Other words flooded into her mind. Memories. Darkness. Stillness.

-

_Her father had told her to stay behind. She had found the note and woken him up, but now she had to go back to bed._

_She had refused. She loved Javert as much as her father did. She wanted to go as well!_

_Her father had frowned at her, but relented and told her to hurry into the car._

_She held the flashlight as they rushed onto the bridge. Her father made his way towards a stirring and told her to stay where she was. She bit her lip and tried not to cry as she pointed the light at her father, who was now hastening towards the silhouette staring into the abyss of the Seine. Her father shouted, "Javert!"_

_The figure turned his head, and in the beam of the flashlight Cosette saw the agony on his face and the tears accumulating in his eyes._

_"Javert!" her father shouted again in desperation, and he reached out._

_The figured jumped. There was a splash. Cosette screamed. Her father sank to his knees._

_-_

"I don't know what happened, M'sieur." Marius's voice was saying urgently, "I wanted to look over the railing, but when I tried getting Cosette to come with me, she shook her head and passed out."

"Wait, railing of what?" her father inquired.

"The Pont des Arts-"

"The Pont des- you took her to a _bridge!?"_

"Well, yeah, why?"

"Didn't she tell you- dear God, she wouldn't have told you- thank you so much for bringing her back, Marius. You too, um?"

"Grantaire."

"Enjolras."

Cosette opened an eye and saw that she was home, where she was safe. She had been laid onto the couch. Her father was peering over her.

"Cosette? Are you okay, Cosette?" he asked slowly. This was one of the best things about her father. Even though he didn't always know what to say, he almost always knew how to say it.

"I- I'm fine." Cosette rasped out.

"Are you sure?"

She bit her lip and burst into tears, just as she had the day it had happened. She was pained and tired, and she did no have the strenght to shout. "No. No, I'm not. We were at the Seine, Papa, and I heard you say his name. I saw him jump, Papa."

Her father closed his eyes and looked away, burying his face in his hands. Cosette did not want to blame him. He had been closer, he had had the man just out of his reach, yet he had not been able to prevent it. He turned back to face his daughter and the young men who had brought her there. He gave the slightest jerk of his head towards the men, and Cosette, after a moment, nodded.

"Fourteen years ago," he began hoarsely. "Cosette woke me up past midnight. She had gotten up to get water, and she had found a note in the kitchen. A- a note from my husband." He paused in case someone had something to say, but no one did, so he continued, "It said that he was-" He swallowed- "He was going to jump from a bridge. We went as fast as we could, but-"

"We got there just in time to see him leap." Cosette said. "It's my fault!" she cried out, "If I hadn't slowed you down, you would've gotten there earlier and stopped him-!"

"It's no one's fault." said her father. "I- miss him. We both do. But- it's in the past."

"It's our fault Cosette had to relive it." Enjolras said quietly, and Cosette only then acknowledged that he and Grantaire were standing in the doorway.

"If only we had noticed what was going on." said Marius. "If only _I_ had noticed."

"I saw something." Grantaire admitted lowly. "She looked as if she had a headache. I was about to say something, but then I didn't. I'm sorry."

Enjolras put an arm around him in comfort.

"We all are." said Marius. "And- we're here if you ever want to talk about it, okay? _I'm_ here for you." He sat on the opposite side of the couch, at Cosette's feet and managed a smile.

Cosette looked at him and tried to smile back, though just falling short. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and, as Grantaire, Enjolras and Marius slowly began to talk normally, she realized that she might never like bridges, especially ones over rivers. But as long as she had people to talk to, as long as she tried a bit more to express herself, and as long as Marius promised that they would never have another Pont des Arts date, she would be okay. And okay was wonderful.

**Author's Note:**

> Ending with an AVPM Reference. Classic me.


End file.
